Oasis
by Banshi
Summary: Quatre's private life is under attack, and he's sick of WEI. Yaoi 4+5, very fluffy, companion to The Letter *complete*
1. Desert: Prologue

_Oasis_

_by Banshi_

~~~~~~~~~~

_Prologue_

~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre watched as the sun rose over the desert. He rarely got vacation time, and he always spent it in the deserts of earth. And usually alone.

He had started feeling guilty about the servants and the unending attention from the Maguanacs, so he always came to his sanctuary alone. It was a nice feeling, depending on no-one but himself when the fate of the universe _didn't_ hang in the balance.

On these vacations, Quatre had learned the intricacies of keeping house and had gained more than a little expertise in fine cuisine. And no-one knew it but him. Once he was home, others cared for his laundry and did the dusting, washed the dishes. Others cooked and made tea for him. Someday, he knew, he would grow resentful of the pampering and coddling. Someday he would come to the desert, alone, and never leave.

But not today. Not while there was s till so much work to be done.

As the burning rays of the daystar reached the sands, Quatre loaded the plane that he would fly into civilization. Taking one last look at his haven from behind a pair of blue-tinted glasses, Quatre inhaled his last dry-as-dust breath and walked into the plane, closing the hatch behind him.

Meetings needed to be attended, governments needed to be built, and Relena needed his help in keeping everyone calm and things running smoothly. Slowly Quatre felt his mask slide into place. What the war had failed to do, to make it necessary that he hide himself, the building of peace had accomplished.

It was necessary that nobody be reminded of the colony he had destroyed. It was necessary that nobody be reminded that he had been a Gundam pilot. It was necessary that all anybody else see was Mr. Winner, head of the Winner family business, and that they be comfortable with him.

Someday he could let go. Someday he could flee to the desert and never return, leaving the responsibility of peace to others. Someday.

But not today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_continued in chapter one_


	2. Part One

_Oasis_

_by Banshi_

~~~~~~~~~~

Part One

~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre walked off the shuttle and into the terminal feeling both more relaxed and very grumpy. He had wanted to stay on Earth, away from people, in the peace of the desert, but his colony, his entire species, still needed him. He blew a short breath into his bangs, trying to alleviate the sudden tension that seemed to descend as soon as he saw the WEI head of security hurrying towards him.

"Mr. Winner! I left instructions that you were to stay on the shuttle until I got through the damn gates to meet you!"

_It's nice to see you too Serviay. My trip was wonderful, thank you for asking. And how did things go while I was gone?_ It was all on the tip of his tongue. He bit down the impulse though, not wanting to make Serviay feel bad.

"They needed to start preparing for the next flight. Everybody is behind schedule, you know." He put a smile on his face, feeling genuinely concerned, but not having the energy for his usual cheerful attitude.

"Oh, well, that's very kind of you sir, but think of your own safety."

"Don't worry Serviay, I do. Now, can I go home? I need a little rest before getting back into the thick of things."

"Of course sir." The group moved through the terminal, three people standing at the baggage claim to get his two suitcases, everybody taking up so much room in the hallways that people had to wait for them to pass in order to continue towards the departing shuttles. The whole thing was an utterly ridiculous exercise.

Quatre couldn't wait to be alone in his rooms again. Hell, he couldn't wait until his next vacation when he could go back to his fortress in the timeless sands. He closed his eyes, trying to reclaim some of that peace, the utter tranquility that came from the ever changing, and yet never changing dunes.

It only sort-of worked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later, Quatre was ready to both bite people's heads off and run away, never to see anybody ever again. Unfortunately, neither option was open to him. The only thing that seemed to help was the Relena and Une seemed to understand where his short temper was coming from…and they'd brought Wufei with them to the Intercolonial Security Council meetings.

If anybody's temper was shorter this week than Quatre's, it was Wufei's. Together, they always managed to scare the lobbyists and reporters into running for cover. Even the ones who had no idea that they had been Gundam pilots. They always ate in Quatre's dining room, in silence. Wufei said that he couldn't stand to listen to the various politicians vie for Une and Relena's attention. Quatre was just glad that his former brother-at-arms was willing to let him sit and _not_ think.

Not that Wufei knew that that's what he was doing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon negotiations were over, and Wufei would be leaving. Quatre could tell that neither of them were happy about it, and that neither of them would say that out loud.

It didn't help that Quatre had realized that, in the right light, Wufei's skin looked like the desert sands at dusk, when the sky was burning red. He hadn't been able to get the comparison out of his head after he caught his friend at the gym.

In times of great mental stress, trying not to lose his temper with some sniveling elected official, the image of strong, sturdy, evening-sand colored Wufei was all that kept him from acting on his homicidal fantasies. He would alternately imagine the shifting sands that surrounded his private heaven, and sharing that with Wufei.

Such thoughts had the contradictory results of intense peace and butterflies in his stomach. He had never thought of his friend like this before, and he wasn't sure what to do about it.

So they stood at the secured departure gate at the shuttle port of L4 with Une, Relena and more security than anybody really needed and just stared at each other. Quatre finally cleared his throat as it became obvious that Wufei would not be the first one to speak.

"It's been good seeing you again Wufei. You should visit sometime, unofficially. It's less stressful that way." Quatre said in a light tone, quirking his lips into a smirk. He was rewarded by an answering smirk on Wufei's handsome face.

"I was unaware that there was such a thing as a Preventer making an unofficial visit."

Quatre laughed quietly before turning a pleading look on Une. He was aware that the woman could resist his charms if she wanted to, but he had the benefit of the fact that she didn't usually want to.

"I'll see what I can do Quatre. Now if you'll excuse us, we're trying not to be late this time." Une smiled a kind smile at him before boarding the shuttle, followed by Relena and half of the security personnel. Wufei paused for just a moment, then suddenly clasped Quatre's forearm. It was the kind of hand shake that knights gave one another. From Wufei, it was as close to an emotional public declaration as his nature would allow. It touched Quatre's heart in an unexpected way.

As did the sudden flash of emotion that wasn't his own.

"It was good to see you Preventer Chang, but I'm afraid Mr. Winner also has a tight schedule. Have a pleasant flight home." Serviay said in his usual, brusque manner. It took all that Quatre had not to snap at the man.

Instead he just leaned towards Wufei, "Ignore him. Except for the pleasant flight part." Quatre smiled again, and Wufei nodded, not saying another word as he turned and boarded.

Quatre couldn't help but feel the void that opened in the region of his chest, nor the feeling of abandonment as he watched his friend disappear, leaving him alone with the security guards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In less than a week, Serviay called the Preventer's Headquarters in a panic.

"We can't find Mr. Winner!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

_coninued in part two_


	3. Part Two

_Oasis_

_by Banshi_

~~~~~~~~~~

Part Two

~~~~~~~~~~

Wufei was furious. Quatre's security team was made up of excitable idiots, they wouldn't know a security risk if it bit them in the assess. Quatre had been missing for two weeks before Wufei gave up on getting to his friend's personal files through proper channels and just broke into the Winner estate. Rashid helped, which Wufei was ultimately grateful for. The man's knowledge of Quatre's habits and thinking were invaluable while they were hacking into the blonde's computer.

There wasn't much in the files to help Wufei with his search. Nothing of a personal nature beyond collections of data about things he had an interest in. Wufei made a list of those topics, in case there were specific locations associated with them. Then he turned his attention to the actual rooms where Quatre lived.

It struck him how there weren't personal touches from Quatre's life after the age of twelve. Nothing from the years preceding the war, and nothing from after the war. It was as if this place had become for show after the Gundams had been built.

For some reason this disturbed Wufei more than the disappearance did. He was fairly sure that Quatre had kidnapped himself, he was more worried about why. Quatre wasn't the type to leave his responsibilities without making sure that they would be taken care of.

It was with that thought in mind that Wufei began searching Quatre's study, looking for an actual paper trail instead of an electronic one. He found Quatre's journals before long, but spent the next few hours debating whether or not to look through them. He was sure that anything important had disappeared with the Winner heir. Still, they were Quatre's _journals_! Rashid made sure that Wufei got out of the house just before the special security detail came back. Wufei took the three volumes of journal with him.

They sat on the coffee table along with all of Quatre's last communications, mocking him.

"We hold the key," they whispered. "We'll tell you where he went," they promised.

It still wasn't enough to convince him to read them, but his mind toyed with the possibilities. He didn't like most of them, and he liked others too much.

Wufei did his normal evening routine, except that he was glaring at a stack of books every few moments.

By the time he was brushing his teeth before bed, he had decided how to deal with the sensitive information. He would look in the journals only as a last resort. Only if he couldn't find Quatre any other way.

The decision made, he felt much better. He even dropped off to sleep quickly after lying down, which hadn't happened since he left L4 after visiting with Quatre.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sitting on the small stone wall that surrounded his home, Quatre watched night descend upon the desert. His mind wandered, flowing like the shifting sands. The winds of his thoughts built sand dunes of ideas within his mind. He found the metaphor comforting, as if a piece of himself belonged here, was recognized as belonging. Space, and the colony would always be home, but something about the desert called to him in a deep, undeniable way.

Quatre sighed, not sure if he was feeling content or just more agitated. What did it say about a place that it could elicit both reactions at the same time. As the darkness hit, Quatre went inside and let the everyday thoughts return. Including the ones that he had been trying to get rid of.

He had been kicking himself for the better part of the day, after he had finally finished unpacking. He had put everything away, and noticed that the space on his bookshelves that he had set aside for his journals was still empty. He had torn his house apart looking for the six volumes of his handwritten secrets. They weren't anywhere on his property, so he hadn't remembered to bring them this time.

The thought that someone would be going through his things, would find the books, was terrifying. He had nearly gotten back on the shuttle to go and rescue the precious books. Only the thought of how hard it would be to escape again had stopped him. He just had to hope that someone who cared about his privacy would find them first.

Still, he missed the feel of the old leather under his fingertips, the run of his pen over the paper as he wrote what only he was allowed to know. Quatre knew that he was an open person by nature, that his empathy made him more open than others and that people would assume that it was alright to read his private thoughts.

It was _not_ alright! Even with the empathy, Quatre wasn't so open that he didn't have thoughts and feelings that he wanted to keep to himself.

It was the first time in a long time that Quatre had asked the higher powers for anything. Today he asked, begged and pleaded really, that an understanding friend find and hide his journals. He knew that if Serviay had found them, he'd know it in a couple of days. It would be difficult to miss the tabloid headlines.

Quatre turned on the lights in his "study", the east corner of the great room, and lit a fire in the fireplace. Making his dinner and checking the goings-on in the universe had become his evening ritual over many vacations. Tonight was no different.

Tonight, when he read the news articles on his disappearance, he found out that Serviay had indeed called in the Preventers. Along with the article was a clear photograph of the Preventer assigned to the case coming out of the field office. Quatre's heart skipped a beat, as it always did when he saw Wufei in the Preventer uniform. Then his heart stopped completely when he saw what Wufei was carrying under his right arm.

Three leather-bound journals mocked him from the computer screen as they traveled home with the last man in the universe that Quatre wanted to have access to them.

Wufei was within his rights to read the journals, as head investigator, and Wufei was nothing if not thorough. If Wufei read them, it was a very real possibility that Quatre would never get to speak to the other man ever again. Quatre didn't know what he would do if Wufei knew the truth of his thoughts and feelings over the last few years. The rage-filled rant that he had written after the battle with Marimea would be the _least_ of the damning evidence against the rock of his friendship for the other pilots, and Wufei in particular.

All it would take was the whisper of a hint of a suggestion that Quatre hadn't forgiven him for Wufei to withdraw forever. Quatre didn't know what he would do without the Preventer's understanding and the lost boy's insight that he found in his friend.

His mind careened into chaos as he fought not to think of the consequences. Wufei would respect his privacy. All other avenues had to dry up before Wufei would read his journals... he hoped.

Quatre got to work making sure that all other avenues most certainly _didn't_ dry up. The trick would be to keep Serviay and Rashid out of the loop without making Wufei lie.

~~~~~~~~~~~

_continued in part three_


	4. Part Three

_Oasis_

_by Banshi_

~~~~~~~~~~

Part Three

~~~~~~~~~~

In another unofficial raid of Quatre's quarters, Wufei found three more volumes of Quatre's journals. The first dates were all before the three volumes he already had, but that didn't put Wufei's mind at ease. They had been sitting innocently on the shelf just to the left of Quatre's desk … where the other volumes had been the first time. Wufei grabbed them, nearly storming to Rashid's temporary office, journals in hand.

"Who else has been in there in the last three days?" Thankfully Rashid was sitting, so Wufei didn't have to glare quite so far up. His expression softened when shock registered on the other man's face.

"Only Serviay and his team. I didn't see anyone take anything into or out of the room." Rashid's gaze was on the thick books in Wufei's arms. They both knew that someone else had had access to them between Quatre's departure and Wufei's first look at the study.

Wufei cringed at the invasion of his friend's privacy as much as at the security breach. Nobody had the right to Quatre's private thoughts, and even now, Wufei wasn't going to look at more than the very last page of the very last volume, just to try and find out where his friend had gone.

"Find out who it was, and what they wanted. I doubt Quatre would appreciate the Tabloids blaring anything while he's not here to defend himself." Wufei sighed, hefting the books and leaving the office. Rashid nodded, he waived Wufei good-night and turned to his security records. 

Wufei was still storming as he walked to his car. It was the kind of storm that made people jump to get out of his way, and he was thankful for that. In his current mood, if Serviay showed up, Wufei might just attack the incompetent, and now questionable, man.

Once Wufei was safely by himself in his car, he took several deep, calming breaths and tried to order his thoughts. He knew that Quatre would have found a way to contact them if he was really in trouble. He knew that someone was snooping around Quatre's private quarters at the house, had probably gone through his office, and possibly his computer. Wufei made a mental note to ask Rashid to check up on the computer, if the man hadn't already.

None of this helped his mood. Quatre and he had just been repairing their friendship, had just gotten to the point where they could talk easily. Quatre was entitled to lead whatever life he chose, and Wufei wouldn't have stopped him, and even understood his chosen method of leaving his expected position behind. That someone would violate that, for any purpose caused Wufei great turmoil. He knew that he probably would have to turn to the journals to find Quatre, but there had been a rush of new leads in the last few days, so he could postpone that uneasy task.

Not if you want o find him. A voice at the back of Wufei's mind whispered to him. In his heart of hearts, Wufei knew that the voice was right. His own fledgling feelings wouldn't let him leave Quatre alone. Even if Quatre needed to be left to himself, Wufei wasn't going to just sit back and let him run away.

~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre debated with himself over contacting Wufei. he knew that the more time he spent worrying about it, the more time Wufei had to read the journals. He had turned on the vid-phone and dialed half of Wufei's number twice now. He just couldn't bring himself to finish it. He trusted Wufei, he admired Wufei, he even l...liked Wufei. Wufei scared him. His feelings scared him. All of which Wufei was on the verge of finding out. Instinctively Quatre knew that if Wufei had decided to find him, found he would be. He just wanted to be able to look the other man in the eye when that happened.

Quatre finally decided to let it be, and trust Wufei to respect his privacy. Wufei would know the limits, and hopefully avoid the entries dated around the Eve Wars, just out of his own discomfort with that time. Quatre sat outside, huddled in a blanked, admiring the stars, and thinking everything through. For the first time in a long time, he meditated, as he had been taught by one of his sisters, in her Buddhist faze. He felt at peace, and even smiled a little as he imagined the look on Wufei's face when the other man found out that the spoiled rich-kid could meditate. Then he smiled a lot as he realized that Wufei had never treated him as a spoiled rich-kid, only as a fellow warrior.

It made his heart glow, even as all the problems came swirling back into his thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~

_I am so sick of sitting behind a desk and having people lie, cheat and steal to get into my good graces. It's sad and pathetic watching some of the most powerful men in the world treat me like a new prince or something. I never thought that I'd say this, but I was happier being a Gundam pilot._

Wufei felt his eyes widen as he read the last line. he had known that Quatre hadn't really fit with his new civilian role, but to have been so unhappy and so angry with it...

That morning, after another late night of fruitless searching, Wufei had decided that the game had gone on long enough. There was a snoop in Quatre's house, personal material had been stolen, presumably read, and then returned. Wufei needed to find his friend. So he was reading the last week of Quatre's journal, trying to follow the other man's thinking. Hopefully to find a clue, a hint or _something_. What Wufei had found was that his friend was in pain, and hadn't told anyone, and so no-one had helped. No wonder he was gone.

Wufei chewed on his bottom lip, and continued reading.

_Wufei was on the news today. He intercepted a big arms shipment. He handled himself with dignity, as usual. He seems so comfortable with his new life, I almost envy him. To fit in so well, doing things that are so alike and yet so different from what we did during the war. It must be nice, seeing those same trusted faces everyday, and getting to do so much good. I wonder if he ever feels as bogged down and useless as I do. Even if he does have to do lots of paperwork, it can't be as bad all the bureaucratic nonsense coming to my desk._

Look at this, and I promised not to be so self-centered and whiny. I just... I miss them, and I miss having friends to talk to without the media, and my own company looking over my shoulder. What I wouldn't give just to have an uninterrupted lunch with Wufei one of these days.

Feeling guilty, and decidedly voyeuristic, Wufei nearly put the book down. He really had no right to look through Quatre's private thoughts like this, but...

Curiosity and duty warred with loyalty to his principles and his friend. The justification that he was doing this in order to find Quatre returned to him, and the war was lost. He continued reading, his eyes widening slowly as page after page went by. At first the words, and the emotions behind them, refused to register in his mind, until he couldn't deny what he was seeing. He was seeing Quatre's motive for leaving, and his own hope for salvation.

An honest, large smile suddenly spread across Wufei's face.

~~~~~~~~~~

Another day, another news piece on his personal history. Quatre was getting sick of listening to "analysts" discussing his motivations for being a Gundam pilot, for taking over the company even though he was underage, for running away. He was tempted to write, but just looking at the blank notebook that was acting as his journal brought back all of the anxiety about what was happening with the old ones. It was nerve-wracking to think of Wufei reading his thoughts about, well, Wufei.

Quatre felt himself blushing. The only thing worse than Wufei reading them was anyone else reading them. Especially the poetry. Quatre put his head in his hands in despair, his cheeks still red with embarrassment . He _really_ hoped that Wufei didn't come across any of the poetry, because most of that poetry was _about_ Wufei.

"Can I just curl up and die now?" Quatre mumbled into his hands, already knowing the answer. Fate was laughing at him.

~~~~~~~~~~

_continued in part four_


	5. Part Four

_Oasis_

_by Banshi_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Four

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took some negotiating with Rashid, a little hacking, and the best global positioning system he could get his hands on, but Wufei had finally located Quatre's desert retreat. He had started packing the second he had found out about the place.

Wufei blew his still damp and loose hair out of his eyes as he paused in his mental tirade against his friend, and himself, and the pair of jeans that refused to stay neatly folded. If he was going to be honest with himself, and he really didn't have a choice about it, Wufei had to admit that if he had been anyone else, and if he hadn't known the "sand" references, he wouldn't have figured it out at all.

That's what he was hoping anyway. The poem had been very descriptive, as long as the reader was familiar with standard western symbolism. Wufei blushed as he recalled the images that a sprang to his mind when he figured out what he was reading. Quatre really was an exquisite, and intense, poet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre walked into his study after a leisurely breakfast and a long walk in the early morning dunes to find his computer beeping at him. He had walked half-way across the room when a cough interrupted his sudden panic. He spun around and was promptly lost in deep brown eyes. He even had the thought, that at this angle, with the sunlight coming in just so, Wufei's eyes glinted almost gold in places. It took him a moment, once he was sure his heart was beating again, to catch his breath and try to say something.

Wufei beat him to it. "I wouldn't have interrupted your vacation if it wasn't important. I apologize for the intrusion." Wufei put a hand over his hear, and gave a quick bow that was more of a nod. Utterly courteous. Maybe there was hope that he hadn't read the journals.

"I also thought that you would want these back." Wufei reached into the bag on his shoulder and withdrew six leather bound volumes. Quatre's heart sank, but he reached for them anyway. As his fingers touched the smooth covers, he felt a little better.

"Thank you." Quatre said quietly, "I was very anxious about them when I realized that I had forgotten to bring them." He clutched the books to his chest, but resisted the urge to hang his head, and met Wufei's gaze instead.

"As you should have been. That it what I wished to speak to you about." Wufei's voice had taken on a subtle note of seriousness that it had lacked before. If Quatre hadn't been paying so much attention to the other man's presence, he wouldn't have noticed the difference. Now, the change caught, and held his attention more than the subtle scent of… cinnamon, coming from Wufei. The Quatre remembered his manners.

"How rude of me! Come into the kitchen, make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea?" Quatre asked questions over his shoulder as he lead Wufei through the house to his sunny kitchen. Suddenly his anxiety disappeared as he went about the task of making his friend comfortable. The journals sat in a stack on the far end of the table, where he hoped that they could both forget about them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wufei stepped into the warm room, and immediately smelled that Quatre had eaten a tomato, spinach and feta cheese omelet for breakfast. He smiled to himself, and went to look out the large window on one side of the kitchen table. The view was breathtaking and bright, the sun hitting the sand dunes and making them sparkle. He could understand why Quatre was so fond of coming here.

"You gave everyone quite a chase. Rashid told me that if I didn't know your strategy tactics so well, even I wouldn't have managed to find you." He tried to say it casually, but he feared that his anxiety over what he would have to say next was showing through. Quatre paused with the tea kettle still in his hand, and turned to look at Wufei.

"Why did you need to find me? You knew that I was alright, I left all the clues there for you. And you know that I would have contacted you _somehow_ if I was in trouble. Don't you?" Quatre's voice wavered between belligerent friend and uncertain boy. Wufei had to smile at this wonder's enchanting mix of confidence and uncertainty. The smile faded quickly.

"Yes, I know. It's not that I thought you needed help," ... in the immediate sense, Wufei added silently, "but that something happened while you were gone." Wufei swallowed passed the sudden lump in his throat, not wanting Quatre to know about the unforgivable invasion of his privacy. Quatre _has_ to know! Wufei reminded himself sternly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What happened?" Quatre could feel a strange mix of emotions coming from Wufei, and it alarmed him, more so because some of them were leaking into Wufei's expression. In Quatre's experience, that only happened when the situation was grim. Quatre grew even more alarmed when Wufei wouldn't meet his eyes, and had to clear his throat quietly twice before he could speak.

"When Rashid let me in to search for clues or a note, I found three journals in your study. As a resource of last resort I took them, intending to read only the very last entry if every other lead failed." Dread settled into the pit of Quatre's stomach, as his gaze went, reluctantly, to the _six_ volumes on the table. He couldn't find the breath to say anything, even if he had wanted to interrupt Wufei. He didn't want to interrupt. "A week later, Rashid let me in again, because WEI's head of security is a bumbling idiot. I found three more volumes on the shelf, exactly where I had found the first three. I removed them as well, just in case someone came back to get them."

Quatre closed his eyes, feeling the world shift around him as the dread blossomed into a terrible cocktail of embarrassment, shame and fear that threatened to choke him. He still couldn't find breath, and he didn't want to even think about who could have been reading his most private thoughts. He was so caught up in just trying to breathe that he barely noticed when Wufei pushed him gently into a chair and rubbed his back in soothing circles. Dimly he became aware that his breathing was evening out, and Wufei was talking to him. He nearly apologized for not paying attention, but Wufei shushed him as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Do not worry for my feelings my friend, I am quite aware of the shock and violation this must be to you. Having many things that you cannot discuss with others is a burden. I am glad that you found a way to relieve that weight, and am deeply upset that anyone would violate your privacy as to steal such secrets." It was a more formal speech than Wufei usually gave these days, but this close Quatre could tell that he meant every word of it. There was also something else that sent a thrill up Quatre's spine, but was gone so quickly that Quatre could only identify his reaction, not what had caused hit. Wufei moved away, and Quatre immediately felt bereft of the other man's warmth.

"Is there anything else? Or did you decide that I needed to hear this in person?" Quatre asked after taking a deep breath to collect himself. Wufei leaned against the counter, and seemed to be studying the toes of his boots intently. Quatre could feel the weight of yet another shocking revelation, and knew that he wasn't going to like this second one any more than he'd liked the first.

Finally, Wufei spoke again. "Yes, there is something else. Once the theft had been discovered, it became even more important to find you, which didn't allow me to wait until all other options had been taken." Wufei paused to take a breath, but Quatre didn't want to hear any more. He knew what Wufei was going to say, and could feel a flush come to his face, and the deep need to have the earth swallow him up, before Wufei could look at him again. Still... a masochistic curiosity pushed to the center of his mind, and suddenly there were so many questions that he wanted to ask Wufei.

Quatre opened his mouth to... he didn't know what, just as long as it kept Wufei from saying anything else. "You don't need to say anything Wufei. I know what you found, besides my location here. I am well aware that, even if you only read the last entry, you couldn't help but find out. I'm sorry, I..."

Wufei had stepped away from the counter and put a firm hand on Quatre's shoulder, leaning down a little so that his dark gaze could keep hold of Quatre's frightened eyes. Quatre felt himself blushing even more, suddenly very ashamed of the feelings that he had tried so hard to hide, but had been found out anyway. He tried to look away, but found Wufei's hand on his chin, holding him in place before he could complete the action.

"Listen to me Quatre Raberba Winner. There is no shame. There is nothing to be afraid of. Whoever stole those books from you will meet justice. If anyone is to apologize here it is me, I had no right to look through anything so personal, even if it was necessary. I cannot unlearn what I have learned from your words." Quatre tried to pull away from that firm hold, those knowing eyes. He could feel tears threatening, and he _really_ didn't want to cry in front of Wufei, especially not for this reason. Wufei continued, relentless. "And, unfortunately, I do not want to unlearn that you love me."

There it was, the words were out. Quatre caught his breath, as he seemed to be doing a lot since Wufei had walked in. He looked into those dark eyes, as a new emotion began flowing from Wufei to him, and it warmed him in a way he had never known.

"You... you too?" Quatre asked tentatively, barely daring to hope, even as Wufei let the emotions be felt through Quatre's empathy.

"I do not wish to forget how you feel about me, because it would require that I continue hiding what I feel for you. The joy that the revelation caused me to feel has been unequaled in my life. Forgive me the intrusion, in reading your journal. I will make it up to you, if you let me." Quatre felt too many things to put names to, but a smile spread across his face, and he knew a peace as all the fear and shame disappeared, even as his face warmed at the promise in Wufei's last statement.

Quatre let his new light-heartedness govern his words. "I forgive you in advance, but you'd better make good on that last promise."

Quatre was rewarded by a smile and a very quick kiss before Wufei moved back and straitened his uniform in an almost nervous gesture. Quatre would have panicked if he hadn't seen the slight smile that never left Wufei's face. "Oh, I will Quatre."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_concluded in part five_


	6. Part Five -The End

_Oasis_

_by Banshi_

~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Five

~~~~~~~~~~~

Serviay was pacing the security center of the WEI home office. A television screen cast eerie shadows across the moving figure as he watched the two brats walk up the main hallway. Between Quatre Winner and that meddling Preventer, his whole plan had gone completely to Hell. Quatre was supposed to be a good little puppet and do what he was told. He would run WEI in name only and Serviay and his family would have all the money that they could ever dream of. Especially once they made it known that they had some very influential reporter friends. With what Serviay had found in those whiny, self-centered diary entries, Winner would have to pay out the nose for the rest of his life.

Now they were walking back into the Winner household, bold as you please, nearly arm-in arm. The Preventor had obviously found the brat and obviously knew all the dirty little secrets, and...

Obviously he had a few of his own! Serviay wrinkled his nose in distaste as Wufei gave Quatre a kiss, right in view of the security camera.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you think he's watching?" Quatre asked, his face so close to Wufei that Serviay's cameras would need X-ray capabilities to read his lips.

"Doubtless. He won't let you out of his sight if he has a choice. Speaking of which... check in with Rashid, just for appearances. I will try to locate Abdul. he should be watching our would-be blackmailer." Wufei gave Quatre another quick kiss and walked away down the hall. Quatre sighed, but watched until Wufei turned the corner at the end. It wasn't like either of them were going to be able to move around without the electronic eyes following them. Quatre hoped that once the full might of the Maguanacs was introduced, Serviay would be too busy to pay attention to any one of them.

Quatre smiled with no little bit of malice and walked into Rashid's office, much to the older man's surprise. Quatre was about to offer explanations when he was caught up in the Grandfather of all bear-hugs. He laughed quietly until Rashid put his feet back on the ground.

"That's what I get for not calling ahead." Quatre was glad when Rashid laughed with him.

"How have you been Master Quatre? Did Wufei find you alright?" They sat down as Rashid fussed over the smaller blond. Quatre laughed again, feeling a warmth rise in his chest and true joy pierce through the situation for the second time in a week. He could get used to it.

"I've been well Rashid, taking a much-needed vacation. Wufei found me just fine, and we talked about the ...rearranging of my study." Quatre had never been very good at talking in code, is was just so much easier to escape to somewhere where he could talk freely. Today, however, he was Distraction Quatre, and had to keep Serviay's attention as much away from Wufei and the Maguanacs as possible.

"Ah yes, your study. I had thought maybe that you would like to move more of your books to the library, rather than keeping them on the shelves where you work. They can be distracting."

Quatre nodded, glancing at the security camera from the corner of his eye.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Serviay couldn't believe that the big Arab oaf was trying to cover for Wufei taking the journals. Maybe there would be something to use against the two, and keep them from cooperating. If Quatre didn't know that Wufei had taken the journals (after Serviay himself had spent so much time and effort to take them without leaving a trace, and replace them before anyone noticed), then maybe Wufei couldn't be trusted.

Serviay smiled and called up his "backup" team to come and help him with this unexpected phase of the plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Wufei contacted no less than ten of Quatre's closest friends in the Maguanacs ranks. All of them had been eager to help, and there had even been a few offers to lock the ballroom when Wufei confronted the dirty security officer and defended Quatre's honor.

"Quatre plans to defend his own honor, I am simply going to enjoy the show," had been his standard response. It had earned a few grins. It brought the plan back to the fore-front of Wufei's mind every time, and so he progressed through his half of the beginning with time to spare.

Seating himself in one of the larger meeting rooms, Wufei set up the portable monitoring equipment, and went through the test run by watching Quatre finish his half of the beginning. He couldn't help the small smile that played across his face as Quatre played for the camera.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre sat at his desk, mimicking all the Big Bosses he had seen in movies. He felt ridiculous, and could see that Rashid was trying very hard not to laugh. He hoped that Serviay would appreciate all the effort that they were putting into the ruse for him. Heero would have just broken in and shot him.

He tried to look like he was giving orders when he was really waiting for Serviay to fall into the trap. He didn't have to wait long. He was half-way through going over a bogus contract when Serviay slid into the room and waited in front of Quatre's desk like a good little houseboy. Quatre made a mental note to congratulate Rashid on his ability to hide disgusted sneers behind his beard.

"Rashid, I think that you can handle the rest of this mess without me. Please see to it that the Foreman of this new building knows the changes that I've made to the blueprints." Quatre never broke eye-contact with Serviay as he handed the "contract" to Rashid before the older man left the room. 

"Now, what can I do for you Mr. Serviay?"

"You can explain where you have been Mr. Winner." Quatre could tell that the other man was struggling to keep his tone civil, and decided not to waste any effort doing the same. Quatre knew that his smile was not nice, and totally out of character, but he doubted that Serviay had spent that much time studying his character in the first place.

"I needed a vacation."

"You just got back from one. If you were going to leave again, I should have been informed."

"You were not my legal guardian the last time I checked."

"Your sister doesn't seem to be doing a very good job."

Quatre clenched his teeth, willing himself not to yell at the man. His family had always been a flash-point for him, and now was no different. He wanted Serviay to confess in front of the cameras that Rashid had placed in the office, and then he wanted to go home with Wufei.

Thinking of Wufei and home managed to calm Quatre down enough to continue the ruse.

"My sister knew that I was safe and wouldn't need your 'protection'. I hardly see what business it is of yours where I go." Quatre had started being deliberately snotty. Though he cautioned himself, if he was too out of character, then Serviay could get out of his confession by crying entrapment.

"I was hired to see to your personal safety. I do my job you little snot." Quatre had to hide a smirk as Serviay's eyes widened. He had clearly not meant to say the last part out loud.

"I was a pilot in the war Serviay. I am capable of seeing to my own personal safety. Is that all?" Quatre turned away, hoping that the total dismissal would push Serviay over the edge. Now that he was paying attention, he could feel the waves of hate and loathing coming from the other man. He had to wonder how he had missed it in the first place. Then he realized that he hadn't missed it, he just hadn't seen his own reaction to Serviay for what it was. Another reason to cut his work load.

"No. I had a ...request... to make of you."

"What is it. I'm a busy man."

"I request that you put my family up in your estate on L3, and give each member an allowance of 50,000 credits per month."

Quatre paused, knowing the reason Serviay was going to give him for doing this. It wasn't the request he had been expecting. He decided to play this one as he would from any other man, and give it his best caring shot.

"Why Serviay? Is your family having a hard time here on L4? I'd be glad to help them out."

"No you little brat! They're fine, just stuck in the middle class, and we deserve more than that. If you don't comply, I will tell the universe your dirty little obsession with the Preventer, and that the Winner family will never have another heir, because your too busy prowling after other boys."

All of the hate washed over Quatre in a wave, and he felt that he was drowning in Serviay's emotions. For the space of a heartbeat it was too much to deal with, Quatre's mind wouldn't function.

Then he replayed Serviay's words in his mind. They didn't have enough to arrest the hate-monger yet. Quatre fought to pull himself back to the situation, to respond somehow.

"Only the tabloids would print anything without proof. Smarter men than you have tried."

The look on Serviay's face told Quatre that he had struck a nerve. This man had been looking for someone to leech for a long time, the look told him, and now that he had easy prey in his sights, he wasn't going to let go. Quatre wondered what the man would think when he found out that this prey wasn't easy.

"I think your own diary would be considered proof."

Almost a confession, but not quite. In the back of his mind he could see Wufei's frustrated and impatient face, glaring at Serviay through the monitor. It made him feel better.

"I would take that seriously if I didn't personally have all copies of my journal."

"Not all copies. You're too stupid to notice when a few go missing for a couple of days. It was easier when you took off and worried everyone. Poor little Quatre, what if he's hurt? You don't know what hurt is, little rich boy."

"Neither do you." The words were out of Quatre's mouth without him having thought of them first. It just struck him suddenly: this man had everything that usually made people happy, but he saw people with more and wanted it. He hadn't lost anything, hadn't sacrificed anything. He didn't know the hurt of wanting any more than Quatre did.

Before Serviay could retort, Wufei and ten Maguanacs were in the room. Wufei read Serviay his rights and hauled him off to the Preventer offices, to dump him on some unlucky holding officer.

Before leaving the room, Wufei had given Quatre a quick smile. Quatre felt lighter, knowing that the problem was taken care of, and that Wufei would be back as soon as he could.

It was over, almost as soon as it had begun.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night Wufei held Quatre to him, needing to feel the strong heart beating and the beautiful man's breathing. He hadn't meant to let things go this far this fast, but one look into those welcoming eyes had been his undoing. So here he was, holding his beloved to him, both of them sticky and slick from earlier... activity. Wufei smiled at himself, feeling the blush come to his face in spite of how childish he knew his prudish thoughts were.

"Get over it." a sleepy voice said from beside him, causing Wufei to laugh outright. He should have known that Quatre would pick up on his mood. He nuzzled his face into damp blond hair, finding one delicate ear and whispering a breath of sound into it.

"I thought you would prefer that it be memorable." Wufei was rewarded by a rosy flush spreading across Quarte's face. Quatre opened his eyes and turned so that he could look at Wufei without hurting his neck. He smiled, a teasing light in his eyes.

"I think that we're referencing two different 'it's." Wufei laughed again, nodding in agreement. He pulled Quatre closer to him, not wanting to give up contact with even one inch of that warm skin. He had never felt so a peace and content in his life, and he wanted to share that. He leaned down, capturing Quatre's lips in a searing kiss, leaving them both breathless and flushed.

"Thank you." Quatre looked up at him, eyes glazed and a little puzzled. Then he figured it out, and smiled that open, joyful smile of his, leaving Wufei's heart expanded in a painful and wonderful way.

"Thank you Wufei. I'm glad you broke down and read the journal. I wouldn't have had the courage to tell you myself."

Wufei's heart warmed, and he felt a smile come to his own face, yet again. He answered that declaration with a wordless one of his own. He had Quatre moaning his name and laughing delightedly for the remainder of the night.

_~Owari~_


End file.
